...but EHT manages it very well. Its a refreshing change from the fare the we are regularly subjected to by Bollywood. There are no ridiculous song and dance sequences, no melodramatic dialogue delivery and even the gory action sequences are underplayed.

The movie is about a single girl living alone in Mumbai away from her family ("on her own terms" is what the reviews say) and how she deals with extraordinary circumstances that surround her meeting the man of her dreams (on the lines of Pacific Heights, or Sleeping with the Enemy). The movie suspiciously feels like its a remake of some Hollywood thriller, but without concrete evidence, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

The movie manages to remain realistic on the whole without giving in to the usual ludicrous melodrama and action scenes at the end. Having said that though, there are a few elements that are difficult to believe. For one, the occupation of the lead character, Sarika. Can a single girl really survive alone in Mumbai with her lifestyle as a booking agent in a travel firm? And for a single girl, she is amazingly gullible when a man woos and beds her. Is it really that easy? Finally, Ram Gopal Verma's penchant for introducing threatening and mysterious characters that turn out to be harmless and irrelevant (the neighbour, Kamdar and the talent scout) is getting old.

Even with its flaws, EHT deserves a high rating. Not because its a great movie or will be a classic someday, but because it simply offers a better movie going experience than most other Bollywood movies today. Its very nice to know that a movie without songs can hold its own, especially when it is mainline cinema.

Ek Hasina Thi is a wonderfully absorbing film. It is gritty, realistic, gripping, and it successfully adopts the style of Ram Gopal Varma's film-making. This thriller develops at a taut pace, starting as a simple romance and later gradually growing in suspense with its shocking proceedings. It is about a young independent woman, Sarika (Urmila Matondkar), who falls for a young suave man, Karan (Saif Ali Khan) who is actually not the one he appears to be. Unexpectedly, her world is turned upside down when she finds herself jailed because of him. That's how the story of her hardening begins, when, toughened by prison life, she gets determined to take revenge. The film does not have any unnecessary subplots, it avoids melodrama, it is relatively short, it has no songs, and all these elements contribute to its authenticity and suspenseful mood, also aided by its fantastic background score, brilliant dialogues, and superb cast.

Urmila Matondkar is one of the finest and most versatile actresses in India. But, in spite of having attained nationwide fame, she is still extremely underrated. It may be because she stepped into a new kind of cinema in order to satisfy her artistic hunger and show her exceptional acting abilities. In Ek Hasina Thi, Urmila stars as Sarika Vartak, but although she plays one character, she actually plays two different women. She is first a gentle and simple class-working woman who, after being deceived by a man, turns into a merciless, calculating and almost sadistic avenger. The complexity of this challenging character arc is astounding, and there is not a single false note in the way Matondkar portrays this deeply troubling transformation. She is thoroughly relatable, real and compelling, handling the toughest and most brutal moments with depth, authenticity and unsettling intensity. This is a performance to remember.

Quite obviously, the rest of the cast are here only to support Urmila, but they include a host of talented actors, all of whom do well. Saif Ali Khan is very impressive in this villainous turn. This is one of his most restrained acts, and his serious character comes as a pleasant surprise after all the comic, lighthearted and womanising characters he had played before. Seema Biswas can always be counted on to deliver a credible performance, and that's what she does as Malti. She creates a tough screen persona which is appropriately intimidating. Pratima Kazmi is superb as the powerful yet compassionate prisoner Pramila. In conclusion, Ek Hasina Thi is a great dramatic thriller, which is enjoyable, unconventional and thoroughly fascinating. The film has some disturbing moments and many moments of relief and joy. The ending is also one of the most unusual you will see in a Hindi film. One of the best Indian films of 2004.

Though EK HASINA THI will never be considered a great classic I was pleasantly surprised that this Bollywood thriller was better than expected. The story is sorta hokey and the acting is campy but what's fun is how entertaining it was. Very few films today are entertaining, per se, so you can imagine how unexpected it was to see an entertaining thriller from Bollywood.

EK HASINA THI is not your typical Bollywood movie: there's no musical numbers, the violence is realistic and it looks modern enough. What's amazing is EK HASINA THI succeeds were many Hollywood produced films fail. Films like KILLING ME SOFTLY, which made me laugh nonstop, looks like a complete joke compared to EK HASINA THI.

Saif Ali Khan gives a good performance but the movie belongs to Urmila Matondkar, who is over-the-top and yet believable, which is amazing. There's a good balance of craziness, campiness and seriousness in her performance. Kudos to Urmila for giving such a memorable performance and basically making the film for what it is. Credit should also go to the director in creating such a fun film.